Bobby Wants 'white Pearl'

Newcastle United are tracking one of the best young strikers in Spain - Real Madrid teenager Javier Portillo.

Magpie scouts have watched the 19-year-old prodigy in action on several occasions recently and earmarked him as a possible future target.

Portillo - nicknamed the White Pearl - is Real's record goalscorer at youth level, having netted more than 700 times in his seven years in Madrid.

He is currently starring for Real Madrid's B team in Spain's equivalent of the English Second Division and proving a revelation, with a hat-trick against Castellon last Sunday his latest milestone.

But Portillo's precocious talent has attracted interest from Spanish clubs Alaves, Celta Vigo, Seville, Real Betis and even Barcelona as well as United.

Madrid are desperate to retain their brightest young star, recently rewarding Portillo with a new five-year contract which includes a £9 million buy-out clause.

But their fear is that he will eventually grow tired of waiting for regular senior football at the star-studded Bernabeu and seek an opportunity elsewhere.

Portillo - who was born in the Madrid suburb of Aranjuez and joined Real as a 12-year-old - has Spanish internationals Raul, Fernando Morientes and Pedro Munitis ahead of him in the queue for a first-team place.

United are delighted with the form of strike duo Craig Bellamy and Alan Shearer this season and are set to welcome back Carl Cort from injury in tomorrow night's reserve team derby against Middlesbrough.

But their attacking options are less varied than the teams they are challenging for the title and Bobby Robson is already eyeing potential additions to his squad in the event of qualifying for next season's Champions League.